


Troubled Souls that Don't Know Where They're Going

by CelticGHardy



Category: The Following, Warehouse 13
Genre: Alternate Universe, Background Character Death, Community: hc_bingo, Gen, It's minor, Pre series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 14:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2550680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticGHardy/pseuds/CelticGHardy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>They couldn't stay in one place for too long, not with the risk of police and CPS breathing down their necks to split them up and place them again.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Troubled Souls that Don't Know Where They're Going

**Author's Note:**

> HC Bingo Prompt - Moving
> 
> Warning for mentions of past child abuse, implied sexual and physical. It's not explicit and it's more of a stated event in their memories. I think teen covers it.

Steve drove at night.

HG – Helena or Helen, as HG was unique and they couldn't chance being unique right now – tried sleeping in the passenger seat. It was the only time her, and Mike dozing in the backseat, felt safe enough to sleep after the start of their running. She would barely get an hour in before being woken up with nightmares that she hadn't experienced in years after being dropped off at the home of Jack and Rebecca. It wasn't the worst, those saved themselves for the times she ran herself ragged on all nighters and school.

“Which one?” the too serious for its body voice asked. He quickly checked after she woke up with a quick gasp. Mike hadn't been disturbed and he was glad for that. “Which one was it?”

She was almost tempted to lie, but he would become slightly annoyed at the blatant attempt. “It wasn't a serious one. Just the threats again,” she partially sidestepped. It had been the threats, but they were the physical ones that she experienced.

It was enough for him to nod. He knew how some of them affected her, her mood and what he learned to say when she told him. This wasn't one of the times he needed to be particularly cautious. “Can you try again?”

She sighed, “I hope so.” The blanket she had was pulled back up and she tried letting the car lure her back to sleep.

-

_HG Wells lost her parents, and big brother, in a fire when she was four._

_That's what she was told when the social worker came to visit her in the hospital. It was faulty wiring in a lamp that they had recently got. That didn't make sense to her, as she knew her father thoroughly tested the items before ever plugging them in. She was too young to be taken seriously, and the police wouldn't investigate, so she only had her doubts and suspicions when she was dropped off at James MacPherson's house._

_The man was smart. Not as she was, with the sciences and mechanical abilities she kept showing off again and again. He read people, knew history and trivia about famous events and people that most would never find in a book or any books. The man and his fiancee were nice most of the time. Sometimes, he would come home ill tempered from his job, but he would calm himself before talking with her again. She never found out what his job consisted of, considering that he traveled several times a week for it, but it must have been fascinating, the stories that she partially heard about strange events._

_It wasn't a permanent solution, unfortunately for her. The social worker moved her after a year due to a problem with James's job. His fiance was more shaken up than he was, from how he showed himself. She liked to think he would show more when he was in private._

_The next building had several other children. They were unusually well behaved, school work completed and chores done when the worker dropped her off. She was shown up to a room that was shared with two other girls. There was a little room for her to place clothes and a couple of books she managed to keep a hold on. Dinner was mainly her talking, trying to figure out everyone's names and the schedules kept when it came to school and home. It was two weeks, settled into school and the chores she was assigned to find out the dark part of the house._

_It was a horrible time, and she didn't want to ever recall it. Unfortunately, her mind wanted her to remember, and kept bringing up whenever she wore herself out or if it had been a bad day._

-

Helena felt the car stop just before the rise of the sun. Steve had to get out and stretch, the hours on the road killing his legs and back. Mike was startled awake, yawning while he sat up. “Where are we?” he inquired, rubbing his eyes of gunk.

“I think we passed the Oklahoma line two hours ago,” she reported, remembering the sign that she saw.

He pictured the United States map for two seconds to remember where the state was. “Long way from home.”

“Yes, we are.” _If we had that home anymore._

They both started at the knocking at the door. Steve was waiting outside, jogging in place to keep warm and work out the kinks in his body. “Hey, bro,” Mike said.

“Hey,” he said back. “So, there's a diner that's just beginning to serve breakfast. We might have enough for that before we need to get more money.”

“What about internet?” HG asked.

He shook his head. “Small town place. No Wi-Fi there and the only place that does is McDonald's.”

She knew what he was thinking. Mike wasn't. “So, why don't we eat there and use their Wi-Fi?”

“Because they're watching McDonald's,” she reminded, thinking about the close call up in Pluckley. “Any place that offers Free Wi-Fi, they're waiting for the computer to link up to the internet to track it. We can't risk it.”

“Then how are we supposed to contact the guys?” he asked.

Both of them were looking to her. She was their computer person. Mike was getting better, but he wasn't as good as she was. “What about a library? They tend to have places now for people to bring in their own computers and jack in, as it were,” she contemplated.

“Would we be able to cover our tracks?” Steve inquired.

“As well as we possibly can with the laptop we have.” Mike managed to get out of the back before going around and mockingly opening the door to help her out. She let out a simple laugh, standing between the two before heading to this small diner. The place was far from the fast food they had been surviving on. They had fun going over the menu and checking their money before they decided on omelets. HG couldn't believe the meat filled ones they both ordered, compared to her rounded out version. “You two are going to regret that,” she told them. The two paused and shrugged. She just kept shaking her head while digging into her vegetable filled one.

-

_Steve and Mike lost their parents the same year they lost their sister._

_Livvie had been at a nightclub with her friends when she was shot by an errant bullet from a couple of gangs nearby. The two didn't go to school for a few days, unable to cope with the sudden loss of their older sister. It was hard, the woman they used to build forts with and who would tell stories when the power went out, or when there was nothing on TV. There were certain things that the two would experience and they wanted to tell her when she came home, before remembering that wouldn't happen again._

_Their parents were in an accident a couple of months later. The road had been icing up thanks to sleet and frozen rain. The police that came by said it was instantly fatal. Steve saw the man was lying. He didn't tell Mike, but his younger brother knew anyway. It was the story on the local news for a couple of rounds. No reporters came to visit, apparently respectful of the fact they had lost someone again too soon._

_Their mother's grandparents were making arrangements to take them in when a social worker came by. There were heavy discussions over the fact that their grandfather had a heart attack a while back and they wondered how they would care for the children. There were arguments and fights with the courts, but they lost the custodial rights to them. Mike and Steve felt everything ripping away from them as they were taken to a home in another town._

_Steve knew they weren't the nicest to the couple. They were in mourning over their sister and their parents, being torn away from their grandparents. They tried their best. He was usually quiet, but now there was an air of 'I never want to talk', as Mike put it. He couldn't help it. Most of his best memories were now tinged in pain and it was all he was thinking about. Mike wasn't the talkative person he had been. The loss of his big sister, who usually helped loosen Steve up, hurt and he was not even close to healing when their parents died. He was quiet most of the time, barely answering questions. He wanted to go back to his grandparents, and he wanted his life back._

_The months had been a blur, but Steve remembered the exact moment when he was blind to what was around him._

_The couple got arrested after he beat up the husband and wife, but he didn't regret it as he watched Mike flinch at the people that were supposed to protect and research who they were allowing to foster. He hated that he never saw the lies in their eyes._

-

They waited until school finished for the day, hiding around an abandoned house. HG was thinking about breaking into the back and Steve warned that they might be noticed a lot easier here. It was safer to hide in big cities, and they needed to find a bigger one before trying what she was suggesting. Mike complained, but there was nothing behind it. After it was a healthy amount of time to explain their presence, they left the car behind and walked down to the library.

There were three teens already chatting away to friends that had access at home or to those they met online. HG found a quiet corner with an outlet and an internet jack. She turned on the computer, made sure it was running background programs to hopefully alert her to any problems, and plugged into the jack.

She logged onto her email account, making sure the other two couldn't tell what her password was. She hated having to change it when Michael decided to start pranking everyone and getting onto their social accounts. Claudia had emailed her from the last time they had communicated. Steve saw the name of the sender and waited for her to open them.

_Hey guys,_

_Myka's over my shoulder as I'm writing this, because she didn't like my last email. I don't know what was wrong with it, I was using language they wouldn't be able to read. She thinks HG can't read it either. Whatever, Steve can translate._

_We've successfully ran around the police. They have no clue where you're headed. The fake stuff you made, along with the 'conversations' we had with you guys about vacation spots has them looking in other places. Artie, of course, doesn't believe it and thinks that he can track you down. Please, the way HG has that laptop juiced, you should be fine. If I worry, then you should worry._

_Mrs. Lattimer is looking at paperwork for emergency situations to keep you guys. At least two of you guys, but she thinks that she can get two of you guys, but the third would have to stay with us. She's not sure. She's been talking with that mysterious Mrs. F about another possible person to place all three of you with. Myka heard, but she won't tell me, even after I hid her Twizzlers._

_You need to get a new phone. I know you keep it turned off, but I think Artie got the number. Myka placed more money on the card, so that should be enough. Just be wary of shopping traps._

_Catch ya later_

_Claud and Myka_

_PS: Pete's coming home soon on possible leave. Seriously, we can figure this out._

Steve wiped his eyes, missing his best friend and the others. Mike had his face hidden. She stubbornly kept herself from crying, planning on hiding herself away for a couple of minutes. Logging off, she handed the computer to the older twin and left to find the bathroom.

Helena hated missing people. She hated thinking about the ones that she wouldn't see again. MacPherson and his fiancee. The others that were split up and shuffled around after the parents were arrested. Jack and Rebecca. Her own parents and brother. There were so many that she wanted to keep a hold of that slipped through her fingers. Now, she had made friends again and felt them being lost as well. Claudia, the girl with a mind close to her own. Pete, the boy that acted as an older brother so much that she wondered what would have happened if her family hadn't died and if Charles had been around to tease her as such as Pete did. And Myka....

The girl, woman she loved. The person she connected to, more so than anyone she had ever encountered.

Able to build up her mental barriers against the more troublesome emotions she carried, she exited and walked up to see Mike on the computer. “Steve's checking out an article that Myka pointed out to him in an email. She thinks it might be something they could reference in fighting CPS,” he reported, going through the latest police reports for their current area. Steve walked back with copies to read later, and place with others that they were saving up. She did a final check to make sure they weren't spotted on the internet before shutting down.

After a stop at McDonald's for a cheap supper, they planned on heading back to the car. They tried to keep inconspicuous from a local patrol car that was driving around looking for errant teens. It was only after the female officer went down a different path that they were able to sneak over to the empty house and to the car.

When they got behind the house, there were people already in front of it.

“Misters Jinks and Miss Wells,” a calm voice spoke out.

“Jinksies!” another voice shouted out. Claudia showed herself by running toward Steve and throwing herself on him. Myka was more sedate, walking over and pulling HG closer to kiss her for a second. The two then hugged Mike before pulling them back to the other group.

Artie Nielson wasn't happy at the young runaways, and neither was Mrs. Frederic, who was the one that called them out. The third person should have been Mrs. Lattimer in their minds. Instead, it was a male that looked uncomfortable by the two other adults and was watching the small team. “You three are in deep trouble,” Artie said, wagging his finger at HG the most.

“You mean we weren't already with Jack and Rebecca's deaths?” Mike droned, not incredibly happy that they had been found.

“None of us have had grand experiences in foster care until them,” Steve said, adding onto it.

“And we weren't planning on a group home just to be kicked out when we're eighteen,” HG accused.

The guy was nodding along, agreeing with their thoughts. He had been given short folders describing their past with CPS. “You would have been there for about five minutes,” he introduced, “Ryan Hardy.” Mike looked interested at the name, making Steve think about where his brother might have heard it. “Mrs. Frederic brought me in when Jack and Rebecca died. I was on the way when you ran.” Okay, that was a bit of a lie, but it would be better to have them to not know about that.

“You're our new guardian?” HG questioned, wondering where she had pulled the man up from.

“Yeah, I am,” he said, folding his arms and staring her down.

Mike bumped into her. “Ryan Hardy recently captured Joe Carroll,” he whispered excitedly. Steve rolled his eyes. Of course his brother knew about that. He had been following the case closely and developed a case of worship over the older man when he had caught Carroll attempting to murder another victim.

And Mrs. Frederic knew, the older man watching in amusement and horror at the human equivalent of a puppy that just got a new toy bounce around.

“Can we go back now?” Claudia asked everyone. “Pete's waiting at home eating all the cookies.” Steve snickered. He willingly handed over the keys to Ryan and then was pulled along with his brother to the car with Artie and Claudia. HG went along with Myka to Mrs. Frederic's car. The pair of friends were already catching them up on what had been happening back in school. Mike fell asleep, Steve close after and HG settled to listen to Myka talk all the way back to Univille.


End file.
